Who to Love and Who to Hate: City of The Blind - Jonathan Rivera 2/2006

“Jerome’s Awakening”

Intro
Who to Love and Who to Hate is a title that was made to redefine gaming, as we know it. The game is not for entertainment purposes only. No. It is much deeper than that. It is an interactive novel/life simulation. It is a Role Playing Game that takes reality to another level. Because the game’s main purpose is to make you forget you are playing a video game, my storyboard was not made to emphasize the game play aspects Of WLWH. I chose rather to focus on the story, atmosphere, and theme of the game.

Main Points

The main character, Jerome, finds himself as the star of a modern day tragedy. He suffered a great loss in his child-hood, which still has a hold of him in the present. He is 22 years old and has just recently been married. He wants more than anything to start a new life and forget all of the pain and loss of the past. But his present won’t let him forget his past. Wherever he turns he is reminded.

This proposal is meant to bring the potential viewer of the ad into Jerome’s mind, life, and heart. Although his struggles may be worse and bigger than most peoples, everyone can relate in some way to his situation. We all have issues we choose to avoid and this ad encourages us all to face our problems. Jerome inspires bravery and heroism, yet at the same time his weakness and vulnerability is easily seen. So he is a character that is easy to relate to, yet worthy of admiration and the title “Hero”.

All events in this proposed trailer lead up to the point of change in Jerome’s life, or as I call it, his awakening. Here it is evident that he makes the choice to deal with all the issues brought fourth through out the storyboard. The storyboard is not meant to show you how he deals with these issues, just that he chooses to deal with them. This leaves the audience curious and excited about what might happen once he does choose to fight.

This ad will appeal to those who always root for the underdog. The ones who love to see people go against impossible odds and come out on top. People who are inspired by movie classics like Rocky, Seabiscuit, or Hidalgo will no doubt find this proposed trailer appealing.

Conclusion

This trailer is not meant to answer all the questions about the game. It is meant to spark the audience’s interest and get them excited about the storyline of the game. Until the gameplay footage is shown the audience will most likely think this is an advertisement for a CG movie. I want to communicate to the audience that this game is not just a game; it is something epic, the start of a new era in video games, storylines and atmospheric experiences that compete with the box office.

Questions

Q: Since this video game is so heavily based on inner city experiences can this be marketed to suburban or rural communities?

A: Star Wars was heavily based on “other galaxy” experiences, what made it such a hit for us here on earth? The movie was not really about Stars or other galaxies, when it came down to it, it was about the characters, which anyone could relate to. It also was about the struggle between good and evil, which is a universal principle that stretches beyond culture.This game has all of those qualities. And the ad, though it seems to focus on the inner city struggles, if one were to look deep he would see its real focus is on the inner person struggles, which again are universal. This game has mass appeal.

Q :In today’s American culture sex, money, and fun is the only thing most teenagers and adults for that matter understand. Do you think this ad is too deep for the average fun seeking American? Will it go over their heads?

A: I’d like to believe there still are some brain cells left in the heads of America’s youth. I think it is simple enough to understand, the images help get across the themes and points of the narration. I am using a lot of emotional and figurative words, it may go over the heads of a few. But I believe the majority of people ages 14 to 30 will understand the ad, and will be impacted in some way by it. There are millions of poetic minded people out there and I am sure they will be able to appreciate it for all it is worth. If all else fails the ones who don’t fully understand it will understand this, it is a very deep game with a lot violence and real good storyline. That alone will be able to sell the game.

Q: Is it too violent, will parents get mad?

A: There are parents who get mad over anything. But I believe the way violence is portrayed in this ad demotes the violence. In no way does it promote it. It is educational in a way; it shows the types of things that are happening every day. Saving Private Ryan was an extremely violent and gory movie, but the violence had a purpose and opened a lot of people’s eyes to the realities of war. Violence in the game is shown in the same manner, and the ad reflects that also.